Web of Worlds
by Pleeai
Summary: Every choice you make has an impact on life. For some of us more than others, as Ranma learns. Fate and Destiny step in, and it just keeps getting out of hand.
1. Default Chapter

A young looking girl with chocolate eyes stands   
in an endless black void filled with nothing beside   
the girl herself and hundreds of strands of light.   
She walks briskly among the strands, ducking and   
jumping as she weaves through them. As she walks,   
she occasionally plucks a strand into place with one   
hand while the other plays with the blonde braid   
that trails several feet past her feet.  
She's wearing what appears to be a scarlet,   
sleeveless leotard with shiny white boots and   
matching bracers that go nearly to her elbows. The   
right boot has a thick gold band that goes around   
her ankle, then criss-crosses in front of her leg to   
form a gold X before wrapping around her lower calf.   
In between the two parallel bands of gold, in the   
triangular spaces created by the X, her pale pink   
skin is visible.   
The only jewelry she wears is a golden choker   
that covers her entire neck. It has a round teal   
stone that sparkles with an inner fire. There is a   
smaller stone of the same color on each of her   
bracers. A teal bow is tied cheerfully to secure   
her floor length braid, allowing only two shoulder-  
length strands to hang on either side of her face.  
She smiles softly as she brushes her hand across   
one strand of yellow light. It sparkles where she   
touched it, moving to a slightly altered path with   
her guidance. She nods in contentment and   
continues. There is a flickering to her left, and   
she notices that two strands are getting rather too   
close for comfort.  
"No, no! What naughty worlds you are! Do you   
really want to collide?" She weaves through the   
strands that separate her from the flickering ones.   
As she steps up to them, she frowns.  
"The Changelings of your worlds aren't terribly   
wise, are they? How can I help them?" That was her   
job, after all.  
Each strand of light represented a world. Each   
world had a changeling that determined the path of   
the world. The Changelings were complicated people   
with odd lives that represented a bit of everyone on   
their worlds. Each decision that the Changelings   
made altered the direction that their ever-growing   
strand made.  
If they chose one way, the world would move one   
direction. Another decision sent the world in a   
completely different way. If the Changeling on the   
world of Arcadia forgot to brush her teeth, the   
world would spin to the left. It could be tiresome,   
but Destiny had been doing this for so many   
millennia that it was fun and easy.  
Occasionally, two worlds ran very close to each   
other, causing minor problems. Problems like the   
creation of a demon or the channeling of excess   
power into a single person. The world's Changeling   
and its companions usually corrected these problems   
with ease. Sometimes however, the power/demon was   
too powerful, and Destiny sent a minor deity   
underling to the people's aid.  
Now it is very rare, but not unheard of, for two   
worlds to actually attempt to occupy the same space.   
It had only happened a handful of times, thanks to   
her diligence. When this happened, a more   
significant problem arises. The few times that   
worlds managed to merge without her noticing,   
something different had happened each time.  
Destiny's superiors had been terribly   
disappointed when one world died, and again   
centuries later when the Changeling of one world was   
stuck forever on another world. Destiny had vowed   
then to be as careful as she could.  
Now, she was carefully guiding two green worlds   
apart. She was so single-minded that she didn't   
notice two red strands flickering rapidly behind   
her. On one world, a young girl risked her own life   
to cast a very powerful spell in order to save her   
friends. On the other, a young man bit back a   
hurtful comment about his fiancée.   
The worlds jerked suddenly and were now   
careening toward each other. Destiny lifted a smug   
smile after saving the green worlds. She turned and   
noticed the red flashes, gasping and rushing through   
the web of worlds. She reached the two red strands   
just as they meshed together.  
  
Lina gasped as she sat up in bed. She'd had   
another dream of the terrible fight with   
Shabranigdo. Gourry was instantly beside her.  
"What's wrong Lina?"  
She shook her head to clear it, and then blinked   
once at Gourry. "How'd you get here so fast?"  
He stared dumbly at her for a moment before   
looking to the floor and digging one toe into the   
planks of the inn floor. "I was kinda worried bout   
ya, so I decided to sleep on your floor."  
She glared at him before bopping him on the   
head. He flew into an unconscious heap on the   
floor. Lina sighed and tugged at a strand of white   
hair. She hoped it turned back to the fiery red she   
knew soon. White wasn't her color. She looked up   
at the window and saw the sun rising. They'd better   
start out as soon as Gourry woke up.  
Lina found Zel and they woke Gourry. After a   
quick and hearty meal, they set out into the woods   
just outside of town. Gourry kept pestering her   
about her dream, and she refrained from knocking him   
out again. She'd have to carry him if she did that.  
With a frustrated snarl, she took off at a run   
through the thick underbrush. She heard Zel and   
Gourry yelling and chasing after her. She made it   
to the path and turned to yell at them. She kept   
running as she screamed over her shoulder, "Will you   
guys just leave me alone?"  
They came onto the path behind her and started   
to yell for her to stop. Gourry was staring right   
at her, his face hurt, but Zel was looking over her   
shoulder in shock. Lina slowed her pace slightly   
and looked back where she was going in confusion.   
What was bothering Zel?  
She gasped and hit the brakes as she saw a large   
blue portal. She managed to halt a few paces in   
front of it, but it was pulling her in. Her boots   
left trenches in the dirt path as she pulled against   
the immense force of the portal. She turned and   
tried to walk away, but it caught her cape and   
tugged on that.  
Gourry saw her problem and ran to her. He   
grasped one of her elbows in both of his hands,   
pulling with all his might. He felt Zel grab his   
waist and pull with him. Gourry closed his eyes in   
effort until he felt a cool sensation on his hands.   
He looked up to see that all of Lina except for her   
face, shoulder, and the arm he grasped was in the   
portal.  
"Gourry! Help!"  
"I'm trying Lina!" Her face and shoulder were   
sucked into the swirling blues of the portal,   
leaving only her arm from the elbow down in sight.   
He felt her slipping from his grasp and made a   
sudden decision. He let go of her arm and jumped.  
  
Lina was close to tears as the portal closed   
around her face, hiding Gourry from her eyes.   
Suddenly, she felt his hands let go and she cried   
out soundlessly. The bright swirls of blue with   
slashes of red and white formed a tunnel around her.   
She saw 'holes' where other tunnels appeared to veer   
from the one she was falling through.  
She made swimming motions with her hands as she   
tried desperately to grab hold of something or make   
it to one of the other tunnels. Behind her, she   
felt the now familiar sucking of a tunnel as it   
pulled her in. The next thing she knew, wind was   
blowing against her as if she were falling. She'd   
felt like she was falling in the tunnel, but she   
just now realized that there wasn't any wind.  
The falling sensation ended abruptly as she felt   
a cold, wet wall slam into her.  
  
Ranma started to open his mouth when Akane   
mentioned cooking dinner tonight. He slammed it   
shut. She'd just hit him anyway. He thought   
frantically, knowing she was gonna ask him a   
question or something that would only get him in   
trouble. He heard a ringing and turned as a   
familiar sound greeted his ears.  
"Nihao Ranma!"  
"Ack! Akane, I'll meet ya at the dojo!"  
He took off, knowing he'd outrun the bike with a   
little effort. He was right, and soon made it to   
the Tendo's. He ran through the gate, pausing to   
look around the yard. He gave a few soft gasps,   
barely short of breath, and scanned the empty   
street.   
Since it would be several hours until dinner, he   
might as well get some exercise in. He was just   
starting a kata by the koi pond when the same   
ringing from earlier reached him. He groaned and   
turned to the wall as Shampoo flew over it on her   
bike.   
"Why Ranma run from Shampoo?"  
Akane ran through the gate and stood between   
Ranma and Shampoo, gasping for breath. "Because   
you're an annoying bimbo, and nobody likes you!"  
"Grr. Is no true. Shampoo many, many friends;   
and Ranma love wife very much."  
With that pronouncement, she ran toward Ranma   
and over Akane. Just before reaching him, there was   
a bright flash of light overhead and behind Ranma.   
Ranma, backpedaling from Shampoo, had his back to   
the bright blue light and escaped unharmed. Shampoo   
and Akane, however, were momentarily blinded.  
Ranma saw the yard brighten for a second and   
noticed the dazed looks on the girls' faces once the   
blue tinge faded from the yard. Stunned as well, he   
lost his balance and fell into the pond. AS soon as   
he hit, something else landed on top of him. He   
lost his breath and lay stunned at the bottom of the   
pond.  
Shampoo shook away the bright spots in her   
vision and looked for Ranma. She didn't see him   
anywhere, but remembered the flash. Smiling, she   
approached the pond. She studied it until noticing   
the bright red blur beneath the surface. Smiling,   
she reached in and grabbed an arm.  
Eyes closed happily as she smiled, Shampoo said,   
"See what good wife Shampoo is to rescue Airen?"   
"Ow! Hey, let go of my arm, will ya?"  
Shampoo opened her eyes and looked at the   
strange girl in confusion. "Who you?"  
"I'm Lina Inverse." She said it proudly as she   
pulled her arm out of the purple-haired girl's   
grasp. She watched the girl's face for a reaction,   
and getting none, commented, "You HAVE heard of me,   
haven't you?"  
Shampoo shook her head dumbly, then seemed to   
anger very quickly. "Hey! What you do with Airen?"  
"Who? Hey!" Lina dodged the sudden punch with   
ease, but the second one took her by surprise and   
sent her flying over the pond, just as Ranma   
surfaced. Shampoo ran after Lina, bouncing off of   
Ranma's head.  
"Excuse Shampoo, Airen. Must avenge you death   
by red-haired stranger girl."  
Ranma rubbed her head both to massage away the   
pain and in confusion. He looked up at Akane   
questioningly as she helped him out of the pond.  
"Don't just sit there, baka. Shampoo's gonna   
kill that girl!"  
Ranma jerked his head around and jumped to his   
feet when he saw Shampoo running to the shaken girl.   
The redhead was on all fours, shaking her head to   
clear it. Ranma crossed the yard quickly, but not   
quick enough.  
Lina stood and turned just as the amazon reached   
her. She spun and dodged a punch. As she   
straightened, she jumped away and drew her sword.   
Shampoo frowned at the thin blade.  
"Shampoo use sword too."  
Lina gasped as the other girl brought a blade   
from seemingly nowhere. She barely parried the   
first blow, but did a little better on the second.  
"Shampoo!" Ranma's cry went unheard. He   
reached out to grab the girl's sword arm, but she   
made a move that even he didn't quite expect. His   
arm went through air and Shampoo's blade went   
through Lina's shoulder.  
Ranma tackled Shampoo as Lina collapsed. Akane   
ran over and rolled Lina onto her back. The girl's   
face was contorted in pain as she clutched her right   
shoulder. Ranma threw a quick punch to Shampoo's   
stomach to take her breath away.  
"Jeez Shampoo! Calm down. I'm fine already!"  
"Ranma! Shut up a second, will you?" Akane   
glared briefly at her fiancé before turning back to   
the wet redhead on the ground. "Hey, are you   
alright?"  
"Arg! Get off. Unh." Lina struck weakly out   
at Akane, getting enough force into the blow to   
knock Akane back a little.  
  
Gourry fell from the portal and rolled to his   
feet. He scanned the area and seemed to be in some   
kind of garden.   
"Who dares to trespass in the garden of the   
great blue thunder?"  
Gourry turned and stared at the youth before   
him. He at first thought that the stranger was   
waving a sword at him, but it seemed to be some kind   
of wooden toy. Gourry smiled.  
"Hi. Sorry about dropping in. I'm looking for   
someone, maybe you've seen her. She's short with   
red hair and—"  
Kuno jerked his head up to study the stranger.   
"What have thou done to the pig tailed goddess whom   
I love with all my noble heart?"  
"Goddess? Well, I never really considered her a   
goddess, but L—"  
"Have at thee!" Kuno lunged forward, striking   
out with his bokken. Gourry drew his sword as he   
sidestepped, hitting the teen upside the head. As   
Kuno fell to the ground, Gourry started walking.   
Lina had a habit of running into trouble, so he was   
sure he'd find her soon if he just wandered   
aimlessly.  
Sure enough, he'd only been walking a few   
minutes down the odd streets when he heard   
screaming. He followed it to a wall and jumped up   
to grab the edge. He pulled himself up and peaked   
over after hearing someone yelling about hair   
products.  
When he looked over the top of the wall, He saw   
a boy tackling a girl who was wielding a sword.   
Another girl was talking to a beaten looking Lina.   
Gourry stared at the scene for long moments before   
he started to get angry. He noted the bloody sword   
in the purple-haired girl's hand and the gaping   
wound in Lina's torso.  
He leapt over the wall and ran to Lina. He   
pushed the girl away and cradled Lina's head. "Are   
you okay Lina?"  
"Gourry, gotta cast spell." Gourry heard her   
mumbling incoherently and turned glowing eyes on   
Shampoo.   
"You did this to her."  
Shampoo drew herself up and nodded curtly, "Weak   
girl attack Airen. Shampoo defend husband."  
Gourry leapt to his feet and everyone turned to   
him, completely missing it when Lina started to   
glow. Gourry drew his sword and pointed it at the   
proud amazon. "For injuring my friend, I, Gourry   
Gabriev, challenge you to a match to the death."  
Shampoo nodded and squared herself off against   
him. Lina muttered to herself, but nobody was   
paying any attention. Ranma was looking between   
Gourry and Shampoo in an undecided manner. Akane   
edged closer to Ranma, though she'd never admit to   
it later, and kept her eyes on the strange blonde   
man.  
Gourry narrowed his eyes and slid his sword from   
the sheath. Shampoo took one of her usual graceful   
and completely unpractical-looking stances. They   
stared at each other for a long moment before Gourry   
jerked into action. Shampoo's eyes widened   
momentarily before she swung her sword up to dodge   
the downward slice from Gourry's sword.  
His heavier sword slid completely down her   
smaller sword until she was forced to take a hit or   
move away. She slipped her sword free and jumped to   
the side. Ranma suddenly grabbed Akane and jumped   
onto the garden wall. She was so intent on the   
battle that she barely noticed when he didn't   
release his grip.  
Shampoo had spun away from Gourry's heavy but   
surprisingly quick swipes. He lunged forward and   
swung, but Shampoo jumped up and over him, landing   
on his left and supposedly blind side. She whipped   
her sword around in a vicious attack that Gourry   
was able to easily avoid.   
Gourry side-stepped and hit her with the flat   
edge of his sword on the back of her skull. She   
dropped like a rock as Ranma screamed from the top   
of the wall.  
"No! Don't beat her!"  
Gourry turned and gave him a confused and   
annoyed look. "Why not? She hurt Lina."  
Ranma jumped from the wall and set Akane down   
before standing over Shampoo and carefully   
scrutinizing her. He poked her with a toe, "Yup,   
she's out. Sorry bud, I was hoping she'd beat you."  
"What! I—"  
Ranma held his palms up to stop whatever   
comments the man was gonna make. "Look, she's an   
amazon. When a guy beats her, she thinks she's   
gotta—"  
There was a flash of light and a ball of light   
flew past Ranma and Gourry, brushing their noses   
before flying over the wall and slowly rising into   
the sky to disappear.   
Both fighters turned to see Lina sitting on the   
ground, one knee up with her arm resting on it. Her   
other arm was held against her shoulder, but not   
with much evident force.  
"How about you two quit the chatter and help me   
up here?"   
Gourry ran over and helped her stand. Akane and   
Ranma walked over to stand side by side and face the   
strangely dressed couple. Lina brushed her tunic   
and cape off before facing the teenaged couple.  
Gourry was studying the whole in her tunic. The   
edges were bloody and torn, but only smooth skin lay   
beneath. Ranma and Akane were staring too when   
Gourry spoke in wonder.  
"Lina! You're alright."  
She rolled her eyes. "Of course Gourry! It was   
only a minor scratch. I've had worse. Now will   
somebody care to explain why that girl attacked me."   
She pointed angrily at the unconscious amazon on the   
ground.  
Akane kept her eyes on Lina's stomach, "How   
about you explain how you got sliced open a few   
minutes ago, but you don't even have a scratch now."  
Lina sighed and held one hand over her eyes.   
"It was a simple healing spell, alright? Now, why's   
she attack me?"  
Ranma, still a girl, shrugged. "You fell on top   
of me and knocked us both into the pool. While I   
was catching my breath, Shampoo tried to play the   
obedient little housewife and help me out of the   
pool. She saw your red hair and thought you were   
me. When you came out instead of me, she thought   
you'd done something to me."  
Lina nodded slowly as she thought through the   
explanation. "So why was she being the happy little   
housewife?"  
"Because she thinks we're married."  
Lina looked up at Ranma and blinked. "Okay, she   
may be an amazon, but why would she want to marry   
another girl?"   
Ranma looked confused until he remembered his   
current form. "Oh yeah, you don't know. I have   
this curse ya see, and I turn into a girl when I get   
hit with cold water."  
Lina looked closely at Ranma and squinted.   
After a moment, she nodded slowly. "Yes, I can see   
the magic mixed with your aura. It's not too bad   
though, why haven't you had a mage dispel it yet?"  
Ranma and Akane shared a quick glance before   
Ranma gave her an odd look. "The only ones that   
know magic around here are Happy and the old Ghoul.   
Neither of them says that they can cure it, but they   
probably wouldn't admit to it even if they could."  
Akane held up a finger and added helpfully,   
"Cologne would if she thought it would mean conning   
you into marrying Shampoo."  
Ranma nodded thoughtfully, "That's true.   
Besides, she'd definitely heal Shampoo's curse."  
Lina studied Shampoo as she had Ranma, "What's   
with you people and curses?"  
"Hey, it's not my fault Pop can't read Chinese."  
Lina blinked and looked at Gourry, but he wasn't   
any help. "Hey, where's Zel?"  
"Who?" Akane didn't like all these strange   
people showing up in her backyard at once.  
Lina was busy studying the horizon, so Gourry   
answered. "He's a friend of ours. He helped Lina   
and me defeat Shabranigdo."  
Akane nodded in a confused state until Lina gave   
a slight shout and started waving her hands. "Down   
here Zel!"  
They all looked up to see a cloaked figure   
slowly descending into the yard. He was completely   
covered in whitish-gray clothes, except for bits of   
lavender hair and a shaded bit of his face around   
his eyes. He landed lightly beside Lina as the   
flickering aura around him faded.  
"Where've you two been?"  
Lina shrugged and waved her hand dismissively.   
"Oh, I've been right here fighting odd little   
amazons. I don't know where Gourry was, but he   
showed up right after I got hurt."  
"You heal yourself alright, or did one of those   
girls do it?"  
"Hey!"   
Zel glanced at Ranma before turning back to Lina   
for an answer. "Nah, I got it. They claim that   
there aren't any mages around, and I'm prone to   
agree."  
"Why?"  
She shrugged, "Two of them have minor magical   
curses and, judging by the calm way he was talking   
about turning into a girl, he's had it for awhile."  
Zel studied Ranma for a moment. "That's a guy?"  
Gourry nodded, "Tell me about it. I find it   
hard to believe he's a he since he's built better   
than Lina—oof!"  
A blushing and angry Lina removed her elbow from   
Gourry's stomach. "As I was saying, if you study   
his aura you can tell he's a he and that he has a   
curse."  
Zel did turn and look at Ranma, finally nodding.   
"You're right, it's there."  
Ranma coughed into his fist and poked his toe   
into the ground. "Uh, by any chance, would any of   
you be able to fix this curse?"  
Lina glared at him, "After your wife attacked   
me?"  
"Wife!" Ranma, Akane, and Zel all spoke at once   
with varying degrees of shock or anger.  
Ranma stepped forward angrily, "She's not my   
wife, she just thinks she is!"  
Lina rolled her eyes, and Ranma continued.   
"Besides, I was still underwater catching my breath   
after you landed on me when she attacked you. As I   
recall, it was Akane and me that stopped Shampoo."  
"Well, maybe, but I still had to heal myself."  
Akane shrugged, "Knowing Shampoo, be glad you   
didn't have to bury yourself before Ranma stopped   
her."  
Lina glared at her. "I may have been on the   
ground, but one spell would have taken all three of   
you out without doing anything to me."  
Akane looked at her through narrowed eyes,   
suspicious of the redhead's confident tone. "Are   
you saying that you're a magician or something?"  
Lina crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm   
saying that I'm Lina Inverse, the greatest sorceress   
in the world." She thrust her nose into the air and   
tried to look down at Ranma and Akane, even though   
they were all about the same size.  
Ranma and Akane looked at each other before   
asking in unison, "Who?"  
Lina face-faulted before quickly pulling herself   
up and staring at the two in disbelief. Zel cocked   
his head and asked, "You mean you've never heard of   
Lina Inverse?" They shook their heads and he turned   
to Lina. "That portal must have taken us pretty far   
away if they've never heard of you. Besides,   
they're dressed funny."  
Ranma and Akane developed huge teardrops on the   
backs of their heads. "Look, Ranma and I aren't the   
ones dressed funny. Are you going to a costume   
party or something? I mean, nobody wears such   
outdated clothes except for Kuno."  
Gourry perked up, "Kuno? I ran into somebody   
named Kuno. He attacked me with a stick."  
Akane sighed and Ranma smirked. "Great! That   
means you probably beat him if you can get Shampoo."  
Gourry looked vaguely insulted, "Of course I   
beat him! He had a stick and I'm the owner of the   
Sword of—oof!" He rubbed his stomach and looked   
utterly deflated. "Could you stop doing that Lina?"  
"Yeah sure, sure. Anyway, if you guys help us   
figure out where we are, maybe Zel here will look   
into your curse."  
Ranma and Akane looked at each other and   
shrugged. Akane finally nodded, "I don't see why   
not, as long as you don't attack anyone else. We   
have enough fights around here as it is without a   
supposed sorceress running around."  
"What do you mean 'supposed'? I happen to be   
pretty famous where we're from."  
"Wo da Airen!" Gourry found himself enveloped   
by a mass of Chinese silk and lavender hair. He   
milled his arms around to catch his balance,   
struggling to keep his mouth out of her hair to be   
able to breathe.  
Ranma suddenly lit up, but Akane seemed   
doubtful. "Hey Shampoo, does that mean that you'll   
be giving up on your stupid claim to Ranma?"  
Shampoo sent Akane an icy glare over her   
shoulder. "Since when angry girl care about Ranma?"  
"I don't! I just can't believe you'd switch   
back and forth like that!" She was blushing   
furiously, but everyone was staring at Shampoo and   
Gourry. Ranma saw the blush and glanced curiously   
at Akane. He quickly looked away however, when   
Gourry jumped out of Shampoo's arms.  
"What do you think you're doing?"  
Shampoo looked genuinely hurt as Ranma casually   
explained. "Like I tried to tell ya. When a guy   
defeats an amazon, she has to marry him. She's been   
after me for a couple years now."  
Shampoo suddenly remembered Ranma and looked   
between the two men. "Uh, Shampoo must go back   
Nekohanten to make deliveries. Be back later,   
Airen."  
All watched calmly as she bounced over the wall.   
Akane asked wryly, "Which one do you think she   
means?"  
"OH Akane, I didn't know you had friends over.   
Father and Mr. Soatome are going to be late, so your   
friends can have their share." Akane sighed and   
tried to figure out how to withdraw Kasumi's   
invitation, but Lina and Gourry were already at the   
base of the porch.  
"Oh we couldn't impose. I don't believe we've   
met. I'm Lina Inverse the Bandit killer."  
"My, what a noble occupation. But isn't that a   
bit harsh? I'm Kasumi, Akane's older sister."  
Gourry smiled and nodded once in acknowledgment.   
"I'm Gourry Gabriev."  
"Pleased to meat you, Mr. Gabriev." She smiled   
down at him and he seemed to go fuzzy for a moment.   
Kasumi didn't notice, and gestured Lina into the   
house. "Do come in Miss. Inverse. I assure you,   
you wouldn't be imposing at all."  
"Well in that case . . ."  
Before Akane and Ranma knew it, they were seated   
at the table with Nabiki, Kasumi, Lina, Gourry, and   
Zel; though Zel was off a little to the side,   
withdrawing from the group.  
Kasumi turned with a freshly ladled bowl of   
soup. "Don't you want some soup Mr. Zelgadis?"  
"Uh, no. That's alright." His body chose that   
moment to give a hungry stomach growl. He blushed a   
bright scarlet, but nobody saw it through the mask   
he was wearing. He kept his head down so that his   
face was shadowed, and watched everything through   
the locks of pale hair.  
"Your stomach knows best! Now come have a bowl   
of soup."  
With the normal amount of success when resisting   
a Kasumi-made request, he was soon at the table.   
"Um, thanks."  
"No trouble at all."  
Everyone stared as he stared at the bowl. It   
would be impossible to eat while wearing the mask,   
and the Tendo household was curious as to why he was   
wearing a mask and so worried about hiding his face.   
Lina was curious as to how he'd reveal his stony   
skin, and Gourry was just trying to figure out what   
everyone was looking at.  
After a long moment, Lina cried out, "I can't   
take it anymore! Zel's uncle put a curse on him   
that made him part golem, so he has stone skin.   
There, now take off your mask and eat for crying out   
loud." Lina soon went back to slurping hungrily   
through her fourth bowl of soup. Ranma did   
likewise, but kept his eyes on Zel.  
Zelgadis studied the delicious looking soup.   
With a small sigh, he reached up and undid the cloth   
around his face. He closed his eyes as the gasps   
reached him. After a moment he opened them to see   
the stunned faces. What surprised him were whose   
faces were stunned.  
Lina and Gourry were looking at him strangely,   
while everyone else looked confused. Ranma turned   
to Lina. "I thought you said there was something   
weird about him?" Akane elbowed him in the ribs.  
"Zel, your face!"  
"Is it worse or something?" He reached up, but   
she caught his hand. She played with his hand for a   
bit while he picked up the shiny lid to the silver   
pot. He held it up and stared at his reflection.   
He still had pale hair and eyes, but his skin was a   
healthy pinkish color with a hint of a tan.  
"I don't . . . understand. Why?"  
Lina smiled up at him. "This is great! That   
portal must have changed your curse somehow."  
He studied her as well. "Hey Lina, when did   
your hair get back to normal?"  
"Huh? What do you mean?" She picked up a lock   
and studied it. "It's the normal red—oh. I forgot   
about that."  
Akane looked between the two. "Forgot what?"  
"Well, when I used my biggest spell on   
Shabranigdo, it turned my hair a yucky grayish   
white. Now it's a normal red again."  
Nabiki sat with her chin cupped in one hand. "I   
wouldn't call that bright color normal."  
"And what's that supposed to mean?" Ranma and   
Lina looked at each other, for they'd spoken in   
unison. Ranma sat back down and continued eating   
as if nothing had happened, but Lina kept going.   
"What's wrong with red hair?"  
"Oh nothing, but you and Ranma are the only two   
I've ever seen with hair that bright. Of course,   
Shampoo has purple hair, which is weirder, but—"  
Zel raised one eyebrow and asked quietly, "So   
you have a problem with purple hair too?"   
Nabiki scanned the amused faces around the table   
and shrugged. "So we have colorful associates. I   
can live with that. I have business, so I'll be   
home later." She had to figure these people out.  
After Nabiki left, the rest of the crowd settled   
down to hear Lina, Gourry, and Zelgadis's story.  
Lina scrunched up her face in an effort to   
remember all the tiny details. "It happened pretty   
quick, but I'll tell you everything I remember.   
Gourry was being particularly annoying, so I ran   
ahead. I was turned around to see them when Zel   
made a funny face."  
"I saw a blue glow around a bend in the path.   
The woods were thick, so me and Gourry didn't see   
the portal until she was almost to it."  
Lina nodded thoughtfully, "Yeah, that's right.   
We were turning a corner at the time. Anyway, I   
turned around and the portal was an arm's length in   
front of me. I tried to run back to the guys, but   
it was pulling me in. It wasn't a magical   
teleportation spell, or it would have given off some   
kind of signs."  
Zel agreed, "I didn't sense any magic either."  
Ranma and Akane glanced at each other while   
Kasumi smiled benignly. Ranma held up a finger,   
"Uh, how else could you have come here, if not   
magic."  
Lina shrugged. "Hey, I don't know. I'm just a   
sorceress. We'd better figure something out though,   
cause I want to get home. This place is weird."   
She looked pointedly at Ranma who'd just spilled   
water on herself.  
  
"School?" Lina blinked at Kasumi.  
Nabiki looked up and scanned the room vaguely.   
"Deja vu?"  
Kasumi smiled and held out a battered school   
bag. "Of course! You might as well find a   
constructive use for your time here. Who knows how   
long you'll be with us?"   
Gourry and Zel exchanged glances. Zel sweat   
dropped at the happy grin on the swordsman's face.  
Gourry grinned up at Kasumi. "I hope we get to   
stay for a long time. I like it here."  
She held a hand to her cheek, "Oh! How sweet."  
Zel raised a hand. "Uh, what kind of school,   
mage school?"  
Ranma gave him a funny stare. "Look, we told   
you, there are no mages or wizards or anything.   
It's just regular school."  
The three strangers to Nerima exchanged glances.  
  
Lina glared at the girl walking beside her. Was   
her name Akane? "I can't believe your sister talked   
me into wearing this!"  
Akane smiled at the red head. "I think you look   
nice."   
Lina blushed a little and turned away. She did   
not like the light blue school uniform, but she'd   
somehow been convinced by Kasumi to wear it.  
"What about Zel and Gourry? They aren't wearing   
uniforms."  
Akane shrugged, "Well, we were lucky that mine   
fit you pretty well. Ranma doesn't like to wear   
uniforms in case he gets splashed, so that's all we   
had for them." Zel had been forced into a dark   
blue, long sleeved Chinese shirt and a pair of   
Ranma's pants. Gourry, being so much taller than   
Ranma, wore one of Soun's old gis.   
All in all, they made a strange group.   
Akane ticked off her fingers, "Okay, Lina is   
Ranma's cousin, Zel is an old friend of Ranma's, and   
Gourry is training under Ranma's mother for his   
sword. Does that work to explain you guys?"  
Ranma thought it over. "Well it will explain it   
when they leave, but it seems a little odd that they   
all showed up at once."  
"Then maybe Zel and Lina can both be your   
cousins from your mother's side. Gourry can still   
be your mother's student then. Maybe you and Gourry   
both know Zelgadis and Nodoka brought Gourry to see   
you both at once."  
Ranma's eyes narrowed as he studied the blonde.   
"I don't see why you came along at all. Zel just   
wants to look around, and is strangely interested in   
the school. You're way too old for school anyway.   
You could have stayed at home and then we wouldn't   
have had to explained you at all."  
Gourry smiled down at Ranma and scratched the   
back of his neck.   
Lina sighed, "Okay, we I am Ranma's cousin, and   
Zel is my brother. Gourry is Nodoka's student. My   
mother got sick and Nodoka came to help out. It's   
nothing serious, but they didn't want us to catch   
it, so Auntie Nodoka sent us to her older and oh so   
mature student to take care of us."   
Her words were a rapid torrent that swept   
everyone away except for Zel, who simply said, "Do I   
really look like your brother?"  
"Grr! Fine, you're my half-brother. I take   
after my mother and you take after your father.   
Does that work?"  
Everyone glanced around, finally nodding as one   
in agreement. Lina waved a hand to the tall blonde   
and said diffidently, "Now all we gotta do is keep   
the absent-minded swordsman here quiet in case he   
forgets the story."  
Gourry smiled down at Lina, "What story?"  
Lina moaned as Akane pointed up ahead. "There's   
the school. Uh, Mr. Gourry, can you remember the   
way home?"  
He smiled and nodded enthusiastically. "Of   
course! I just follow all the walls with holes that   
look like Ranma."  
Ranma glared at Akane, who blushed angrily as   
her hands fisted at her sides. "Yeah, that should   
work."  
The group continued to the gate where Gourry   
waved cheerily to everyone. "Have fun in school.   
I'll see you guys later." He turned and studied the   
street they'd just left. When he spotted a crumbled   
wall with a familiar pigtailed shape, he started off   
with a purpose.  
Lina sighed and shook her head before turning to   
approach the school. She shrieked and jumped back   
as a strange figure pounced at her. "What the! Who   
are you?"   
Ranma turned to see Lina grasping the throat of   
Kuno; his hand extended nearly to her face, barely   
clutching a single red rose. He grimaced in   
disgust. "Now what, Kuno?"  
Kuno pulled away from Lina swiftly and stuck a   
pose as he sniffed the rose. "How fortunate that   
the fair goddess has deemed to descend upon these   
hallowed grounds and grace us with her crimson   
beauty. What is this? She hath unbound her   
glorious mane and donned the uniform of mine own   
school! Oh beauteous maiden," He ran forward and   
grasped her hands in his, "At last you have come to   
me under a more permanent basis! I shall see you   
every day!"  
As Kuno babbled on as the entire school watched   
from classroom windows. Lina leaned slightly to one   
side to give Akane a stupefied look. The redhead's   
face was nearly as red as her hair. Akane held up a   
finger in signal for the sorceress to hold on a   
moment and turned to Ranma.  
"Psst. Ranma? Does Kuno think that Lina's your   
girl half?"  
Ranma was grinning as his eye twitched. He gave   
a devious laugh and turned briskly to face Akane.   
"I've got it! Here's what I want you to do . . ."  
  
Lina stared silently at Kuno; her face was blank   
as she listened to her apparent virtues to his eyes.   
"Gee," she wondered silently, "Does this guy   
actually think I'm pretty? Either he's really   
sweet, or a complete idiot!" To her immense relief,   
Akane appeared beside her and gave Kuno a little   
push so that he reluctantly released Lina's hands.  
Akane, while smiling at Kuno, whispered to Lina,   
"Just play along."  
Akane stepped forward dramatically with her   
hands clasped before her. "It's true Kuno! Ranma   
and your pigtailed goddess were jointly placed under   
a curse by an evil sorcerer." Lina blinked.   
"However, Ranma nor I could bear for Lina to be   
forced to spend most of her days trapped within   
another's body. So we went in search of the   
sorcerer and slay him, thus removing the curse."  
Ranma stepped around, pretending to be as   
sheepish as his pride and reputation would allow.   
"It's like Akane said. I only hope you can forgive   
me for the things the curse made me say to you, and   
allow our feud to end." He held out a hand to Kuno   
and waited.  
The older boy stared between the three, ending   
on Lina. "Is it true, fair one? Are you truly free   
from some mysterious sorcerer?"  
Lina blinked, "Uh, yeah?" She glanced between   
Ranma and Akane for approval.  
Kuno was suddenly hugging her, "Thank the gods   
that you are free to date with me!"  
Lina went red from toe to her headband before   
she dropped over in a dead faint. 


	2. Chapter 2

Akane was glaring at Nabiki.  
"I don't care how much it's worth! We might   
actually get Kuno off both of our backs for a little   
while."  
Nabiki swallowed a bite of her lunch. "Akane, I   
don't think you realize how much income you and   
Ranma supply via Kuno baby. We would be stretching   
it thin under normal circumstances, and that's   
without our three extra mouths to feed."  
She turned to Lina, "You're only here   
temporarily anyway, right? You wouldn't mind   
playing interest in Kuno every now and again would   
you?"  
Lina turned and narrowed her gaze as she studied   
the approaching kendoist. "How much interest?"  
Nabiki studied the redhead briefly. If she was   
reading the strange girl correctly, she was nearly   
as greedy as Nabiki herself. She leaned over and   
whispered in a conspirator's tone, "He's really   
rich; and he thinks of you as a goddess. You could   
easily convince him to pay for your room and board   
at our place, even after he gives you all the   
trinkets and baubles you want."  
Lina grinned darkly as she pondered this new   
development. "This could be . . . profitable."  
  
Ranma stopped running at the gates just as Lina   
was stepping out of the limousine that she'd asked   
Kuno for. Nabiki and Akane climbed out after her,   
and all three of them turned and smiled at him. He   
was breathing a little hard, but it was barely   
noticeable.   
He glared at Lina. "Are you stupid, or just   
lazy? All the things you could have asked him for,   
and you get a car?"  
Lina scoffed and flicked her hair over her   
shoulder. "Lazy? Look, I walk all day, every day.   
It comes with being a bandit killer. A horse is   
expensive on long treks, and just slows you down in   
the long run. It's nice to be able to ride around   
for once."  
Akane smiled and shrugged, "Besides, this isn't   
just any old car, Ranma. It's a limousine! And a   
really expensive one at that."  
Ranma frowned and turned to the school as the   
limo drove off. "So? Geez."  
A figure suddenly appeared in front of him and   
he jumped straight back, landing in a defensive   
stance.  
A small girl (small meaning barely three feet   
tall and girl meaning female, not a child) stared at   
Ranma for a moment silently. She barely reached his   
waist. Her blonde hair was pulled into a ponytail   
that brushed the ground in the soft breeze. Her   
eyes were a bright turquoise that scanned the group   
behind Ranma. She wore strange robes that shimmered   
like opals with sparks of color, belted at the waist   
with an elaborate golden belt that was engraved with   
a feather design.  
She may have been the size of a child, but she   
looked to be in her early twenties; and carried a   
five-foot long bladed staff with an ease that spoke   
of age. Oh, and she had brilliant blue wings. They   
looked like the wings from a giant blue jay that had   
a six-foot wingspan. She opened and closed them   
slightly in agitation as she studied each member of   
the group in turn.   
She cleared her throat and asked, "Which of you   
is the misplaced Changeling?"  
The group of teenagers blinked as one. Ranma   
cocked his head and answered with his usual   
eloquence, "Huh? What's a Changeling?"  
She sighed and wrung her hands. "Let me start   
over. I am Iona, a Hand of Destiny. Milady sent me   
here to set right the awful meshing of two worlds.   
The Changelings of two worlds somehow managed to   
make decisions that caused their worlds to collide.   
The Changeling of one world was somehow sent to   
another world. They cannot be returned, but they   
cannot remain on a world that is not their own. If   
they do, this world will be far too unstable, and   
will likely die. So I have been sent to-remove, a   
Changeling."  
Nabiki calmly pulled out a camera and snapped a   
picture. Akane glared at her sister before looking   
back to Iona. "I'm afraid I have no idea what   
you're talking about."  
Lina had been staring at the ground before her.   
Now she looked up at Zel, who nodded. She sighed   
and turned to Iona. "I might. Tell me, what will   
you do with the extra Changeling? How exactly will   
you remove them?"  
Iona smiled sadly, "I'm afraid they must die.   
It is milady's wish."  
Ranma scratched his head, "Who's your Lady, or   
whatever?"  
Iona's smile now turned proud. "Why, Destiny   
herself! The controller of the destinies of all   
worlds and people."  
Lina nodded slowly. "Can you tell who the   
Changeling is?"  
Iona frowned. "Well, I normally can easily.   
However, it would appear that both of the   
Changelings are here in your little cluster, and   
their energies are too confusing at such close   
range. If you could tell me, which of you is not   
from around here?"  
Lina sighed in exasperation, "That would be Zel   
and me." She pointed to her friend, who stared   
coldly at the miniature person.  
Iona nodded, "Could you two please follow me?"   
She turned and walked a little away from the main   
group and turned to study the pair. They exchanged   
glances and followed after a pause.   
Iona studied the two through slit eyes, first   
one, then the other. After a moment, she nodded   
decisively. "Very well. You, young lady, are the   
Changeling. I'm afraid that you must die."   
Akane gasped as Iona pulled her staff into a   
ready position, blade pointed at Lina. The   
sorceress reached to her hip, only then remembering   
that she wasn't wearing her sword with the school   
uniform. She glanced behind Iona quickly,   
establishing that no innocents were behind the Hand   
of Destiny.  
"Elmekia Lance!"  
Iona shrieked and jumped to the side. The hem   
of her robe was singed, but she remained unharmed.   
"What are you doing? For the fate of an entire   
world, you must die!"  
"I don't think so." Ranma and Lina had once   
more spoken as one. Ranma smirked at Lina as he and   
Zel moved to flank Iona. At some unseen signal,   
they all attacked.  
"Elmekia Lance!"  
"Mouko Takabishi!"  
"Elmekia Lance!"  
Iona couldn't dodge all three. She took the   
brunt of Ranma's ki attack as well as most of Zel's   
spell.  
She fell to the ground and pulled herself to her   
knees. She stared in shock at the blood staining   
her robes. She looked up, stunned, at Lina. With a   
wave of her hand, she disappeared once more.  
The three remaining combatants exchanged worried   
glances. Ranma glanced at the crowd in the school's   
windows. "I think we'd better go home and talk."  
  
The entire household sat around the table.   
Nabiki stared steadily at Lina and said in a calm,   
cold voice, "I think you'd better explain."  
Lina sighed and played with her sword. She,   
Zel, and Gourry had all returned to their 'normal'   
clothes. "Alright. In our world there is this   
legend about the world having a Changeling.   
Everything the Changeling says or does controls the   
planet. He or She determines the fate of the world.   
They can only die by the hand of Fate, and only when   
they have ceased to be needed. When a new   
Changeling is born, Fate seeks out the old one and   
kills them, taking them back to her home where the   
Changeling will live forever in perfect bliss."  
Akane gave the distraught sorceress's hand a   
pat. "If it's so perfect there, why didn't you go   
along?"  
Lina grimaced. "There's another part of the   
legend. A few hundred years ago, a second   
Changeling supposedly appeared on our world. This   
second Changeling was slain in cold blood by Fate,   
and reduced to the status of a normal mortal. Since   
that mortal was not within reach of his own world's   
afterlife, he has supposedly roamed our world ever   
since as a tormented soul."  
Ranma nodded, "And you definitely don't want   
that."  
Lina smiled coldly at the table. "Yeah. Not to   
mention, I don't know what she'd do to Zel and   
Gourry."  
Nabiki frowned a moment in thought. "Wait a   
moment. She said she was 'a Hand of Destiny;' and   
that she served Destiny. She didn't say anything   
about Fate, or that you would be forced to roam our   
planet for eternity."  
Akane nodded, "True, but she didn't say the   
opposite either. She just said there was no way for   
the Changeling to return home, and that it was   
dangerous for two Changelings to be on one world."  
Lina frowned at the group. "Look, you've been   
real nice to us, but I'm not going to sit back and   
let some pint-sized lancer chop me up."  
Akane frowned angrily. "I didn't say that! Who   
knows, maybe there's some way to get you home after   
all. Or at least Gourry and Zelgadis."  
Ranma looked up from the table. "I think we   
need to see Cologne."  
  
Cologne studied the redhead in front of her.   
"Well, child, it seems fairly hopeless."  
Ranma slapped his forehead, "That's not what we   
wanted to hear."  
"Quiet, son-in-law. There may be a way. We   
simply need to remove your powers as a Changeling.   
This would probably mean changing you somehow so   
that you are, essentially, a new person."  
Lina pursed her mouth in thought. "Would I lose   
my magic?"  
Cologne blinked, twice. "Magic? What Magic?"  
Ranma smirked, he'd left that out on purpose.   
"She's a sorceress back on her world, supposedly a   
pretty good one."  
Lina glared at him, "Not good, the best! I've   
killed the Dark Lord Shabranigdo!"  
Ranma simply shrugged and looked back to the   
matriarch. "Well?"  
"I'm thinking." She hopped around on her staff   
for a moment in thought. "We can only assume that   
she'll be back soon. She might even be replaced by   
Lady Destiny herself. That, of course, would be   
bad. Lina should not stray far from Ranma; or she   
could, if this Iona is telling the truth, be easily   
found. If this Iona appears again, Lina can hide.   
Her energy might be overlooked in Ranma's, and we   
can claim that she simply vanished."  
"A good plan, under limited knowledge."  
Everyone spun as two figures appeared in the   
café's doorway. One was Iona, though she'd changed   
into a soft and baggy pair of pants and a tunic, but   
the other was a male version of her. He had   
black/brown hair that brushed his shoulders in a   
straight line. A golden circlet held it in place,   
an eagle feather and various small charms and beads   
hung from it down the back of his head as he turned   
to scan the room.  
After a moment, he shrugged. "This is a strange   
world. We've come for the Changeling."  
Everyone blinked in unison, aside from Gourry,   
who stared dumbly. He turned to Lina and muttered,   
"I'm a little confused, Lina. What's going on   
again?"  
Lina growled and bopped him on the head.   
"Quiet, you idiot!" She turned to the two miniature   
people. "Now, who are you?"  
He flicked a stray lock of hair over his   
shoulder and smirked at the red haired girl. He   
wore what appeared to be black leather armor with   
golden studs. There was a scarlet sash tied around   
his waist, the fringed ends brushing the floor. He   
gave a brief chuckle, "Not that it matters, but I am   
Reeve. I am the right hand and Seneschal of Milady   
Destiny. Since Left Hand Iona has failed, her task   
has fallen to my hands; which are hands more than   
capable of handling you young whelps."  
Cologne drew herself up to her full (if meager)   
height, showing her insult, and hopped to the front   
of the group on her cane. "I am no youngling to be   
dismissed so easily, warrior."  
He lazily blinked as he studied the woman.   
After a pause he held his hand before him and a   
small flash of light faded to reveal a leather-bound   
book nearly as large as the miniature man. The   
crimson leather reeked of age and magic, even to   
those who knew next to nothing of either subject.   
He gestured briefly and the book opened and turned   
to a page by itself. He leaned forward and cleared   
his throat as he read from the book.  
"One Koh Lohn, Matriarch. You're impressive for   
a mortal. You've lived rather long by most   
standards, and learned a few tricks to boot. Not   
bad. Oh, and you appear to have a long list of   
decent students as well; including—" He broke off   
and looked quickly up to scan the group. He paused   
as his eyes fell on Mousse and Shampoo, but stopped   
dead on Ranma. He turned to Iona with an angry   
scowl. "He's the one that defeated you, is he not?"  
She swallowed and wrung her hands, "Well, his   
attack did the brunt of the damage . . ."  
Lina cast an odd glance to the pigtailed boy,   
but nobody noticed. Abruptly, Reeve reached out and   
slapped the girl. She collapsed into a small bundle   
of hair and wings.  
He turned back to the book and cleared his   
throat once more. "I've tried to teach you well,   
but apparently have failed. I've told you always to   
study your opponents before you even go to their   
worlds. If you had, you would have known that the   
Changeling had met up with the one of this world,   
and that he is an 'honorable' fighter that easily   
the equal of Ms. Inverse here." He cast her   
another angry look. "Instead you blindly ran to her   
energy source and attacked. Fool."  
Akane sent an almost apologetic look to Iona   
before remembering that the girl was trying to kill   
her new friend. Reeve then turned back to Cologne   
and waved a dismissive hand at the book, which   
promptly vanished.  
"Now, Ms. Koh Lohn, back to our discussion. You   
are also wrong in how you hail me. I am no   
warrior." He smirked again, "I am a sorcerer."  
Lina grinned and stepped forward, "Alright!   
Magic I can handle!"  
Reeve stared at her coldly in annoyance and   
flicked his hair out of his face once more.   
"Careful, youngling, I did do my homework, and I   
know every spell that you can perform. I also know   
that you are no match for me without your giga   
slave." He smiled, making everyone wary. "To be   
honest, I don't stand a chance against that spell.   
However, casting that on this world while it remains   
so unstable would surely be the death of anyone who   
can't shift to a different dimension. As it is,   
Iona and I are the only ones here who can perform   
such a feat."  
Lina stepped back hesitantly to stand even with   
Ranma. Gourry stepped up next to her and Zel stood   
on the other side of Ranma. Shampoo and Akane stood   
behind and to either side of Ranma, and they were   
then flanked by Cologne and Mousse. Reeve chuckled   
and Iona carefully pulled herself up with a hateful   
look to her teacher.  
Reeve shook his head and the smile on his lips   
vanished. Face blank, he said, "Look. The fight is   
between Iona, Lina, and I. The rest of you need not   
die, or even be hurt. Stand aside and let me slay   
the girl, it is for the good of the world."  
"I think not." Everyone turned at the new   
voice. A woman stepped into the café with a feral   
smile. Her hair was silver with a red streak beside   
her left eye. Her hair was pulled into a tight   
ponytail with the tightly curled ends stopping just   
below her chin; except for a thick lock behind her   
right ear that was secured with some golden cylinder   
decorated with rubies. This lock was longer than   
the ponytail, and trailed a good two feet behind her   
on the ground. She wore a simple white dress with   
red chording along the hem and tank straps. She   
wore crimson stilettos and her legs were bare up   
until the hem of her skirt that was barely   
concealing her at all.  
She smiled and her green eyes sparkled with   
amusement. "I can't let you do that, Reeve. You do   
not have the authority or the ability to kill a   
Changeling."  
He snarled at her, "Maybe I didn't the first   
time, but that was millennia ago, and I am   
infinitely stronger than I was then."  
She chuckled softly, and something about her   
demeanor reminded all of Kasumi. "When will you   
learn, Reeve? It isn't a matter of strength.   
Changelings have a particular key in their energy   
that must be countered before they can be killed. I   
am the only one that can do that."  
A look of dawning passed over Reeve's face. It   
appeared that this thought had never occurred to   
him. After a moment, he sent the newcomer a glare.   
"Come, Iona, we must report." He winked out of   
existence.   
Iona looked blankly at the woman in the doorway.   
She turned slowly and looked between Ranma and Lina.   
With a slow nod, she disappeared as well.  
Ranma stepped forward and studied the woman.   
She was slightly taller than his female side, but   
still shorter than him at the moment. "Who are you?   
What do you want?"  
She smiled softly, "For the moment, nothing. I   
believe we should retire to your home for now   
though, or my sister will come." She raised her   
hands and formed some peculiar symbol with her   
fingers. The next moment; Akane, Ranma, Lina,   
Gourry, and Zelgadis were in the dining room of the   
Tendo home. They were seated around the table, with   
Lina and the strange woman at the ends. She smiled   
and called softly, "Miss Kasumi?"  
Kasumi's curious face poked into the doorway.   
"Oh, we have another guest."  
The woman smiled, "Yes, I can help with Miss.   
Lina's problem, but would you be a dear and bring us   
all a little tea please?"  
Kasumi smiled cheerfully, "Of course! It's   
wonderful of you to help!" She disappeared into the   
kitchen, and the group heard the process of tea   
making.  
Ranma leaned against the table, "Now, who are   
you?"  
The woman smiled and played with the long silver   
lock. "Why, I am Fate."  
  
Lina blinked. "Fate. I thought you wanted me   
dead, not to help us."  
Fate giggled and shook her head, "No, Destiny,   
my sister, believes you should be dead. Not I."  
Gourry scratched his head and looked at the   
beautiful woman. "But I thought you were Destiny?"  
"No, I am Fate. Destiny is my sister."  
Akane looked nearly as confused as Gourry.   
"They aren't one and the same?"  
She gave a playful shrug. "Nope. Sorry. I   
shall explain. You see, Destiny and I are what your   
people would probably call goddesses. My sister   
makes sure that everyone fulfills their life's   
purpose, in short, their destiny. She minds the   
Strands of Light that represent each world to make   
sure that they do not veer from their proper places   
amongst the universe."  
She waved at the table and the image of a   
white void with many colored strands of light   
interweaving in a web-like pattern. "In short, she   
is the Mistress of the Web of Worlds. She's a   
little angry that three very important people have   
left their world and proper places. This will cause   
endless and unpredictable changes in the web."   
The image zoomed in on a pair of red strands   
that ran parallel and around each other for a long   
time before meshing. Where they met, the light   
turned a soft bluish white with crackles of power   
around it. "This makes her job very difficult.   
With every decision, no matter how trivial, a   
Changeling makes, their world's beam changes course.   
With two of you here, and your worlds slightly   
meshed, the decisions you two make are either adding   
to each other in concert or fighting against each   
other. Either way, your worlds are drastically   
changing course almost constantly and endangering   
the Web."  
Ranma sat back with a frown. "What can we do?"  
She smiled and gave him a pat on the shoulder.   
"I'm getting there. The normal punishment for   
someone who has left their life's purpose is for   
their death. Now, who gets the unseemly deed   
depends. It is rare for someone to go against their   
destiny. If they do, that world's Changeling   
usually kills them." She glanced between the trio   
from the other world. "Recently, you killed one   
Rezo for going against his calling."  
Zelgadis looked up at her in clear confusion.   
Kasumi bustled in and set down the tray with a   
smile. When she left, Zel spoke up.  
"We killed him because of Shabranigdo."  
She sadly shook her head, "Yes and no. That is   
what you thought you were doing, but did he not   
summon the dark lord because he had changed from the   
loving priest he had become famous for being? He   
was meant to be a savior to thousands, but nearly   
destroyed the planet."  
Lina cocked her head, "Maybe, but what if we   
hadn't killed him? I mean, we could all have been   
killed!"  
Fate shook her head once more and sipped at her   
tea. "Zelgadis and Gourry maybe, but I am the only   
one capable of killing you, Changeling. If, for   
some strange reason, you had failed, the duty would   
have fallen to the next in line."  
Zel stared blankly at her. "And that would be?"  
She chuckled, "Why, the Hands of Fate, of   
course!"  
Gourry put one hand on either side of his head   
and shook it rapidly back and forth. "Arg! I   
thought they were the Hands of Destiny! I'm so   
confused!"  
Lina hit him over the head with the hilt of her   
sword. Resting her chin in her hand, she raised and   
eyebrow and addressed the goddess. "I assume both   
Fate and Destiny have a left and right Hand to serve   
them?"  
"Yup! Now, if my Hands had failed, I would have   
gone after him and killed him."  
Akane stared through slits of eyes and asked,   
"If you're so high in command, why are you here   
now?"  
Fate sighed, "I've been so bored lately.   
Normally I have plenty to do, but lately there's   
been a lull. Besides, my job will be bringing me   
here soon anyway. Well, to the area at least."  
Ranma gulped, "Your job?"  
She nodded, "Uh huh. Don't worry about it   
though. Besides, it is also my job to protect   
Changelings from unnecessary divine interference.   
Iona and Reeve have no business here."  
Lina sat up a little straighter with a curious   
glint in her eyes. "I have a question. The legend   
on my world about the second Changeling coming to   
our planet and being slain by the Hand of Fate; how   
much of that is real?"  
"Oh all of it. You see, my Hands can kill a   
Changeling if I grant them the power temporarily.   
That's only necessary if two Changelings are due to   
die at the same time. That was one of those   
moments."  
Lina looked resolved and nodded slowly. "So you   
are here to kill me."  
Fate's laughter rang through the dojo. "Oh, how   
funny. That Changeling was not killed because there   
were two Changelings on the same planet. His name   
was Cerryl. He was supposed to die from wounds   
received in a horrific battle he fought in order to   
save his world. Somehow, he altered the plan   
slightly. Instead of just falling over unconscious   
until I could arrive to end his pain, he somehow   
fell into another world like you three did. By the   
time I found out from my sister which world Cerryl   
was on, he'd been discovered and was healing. I was   
still forced to kill the poor boy."  
Ranma played with his empty cup, "So what about   
Lina? Destiny sure seems bent on killing her, and   
she's evidently convinced it's the right thing."  
Fate scoffed, "My sister is a meddling fool who   
should stick to destinies and ignore fates. So what   
if you two being together makes her job a little   
harder? Live with it! Does she ever help me when   
more than three Changelings are due to be retired   
close to the same time?"  
Ranma blinked, "So Lina, Zel, and Gourry can   
just stay here?"  
"of course! I'm afraid they can't be taken home   
though. Nobody can do that except for the Hands,   
Destiny, or me. Just so you know, a new Changeling   
was born on your world yesterday."  
Lina blinked and muttered sarcastically, "Oh   
yea, I've already been replaced. I'm soooooo   
happy."  
Ranma ignored her with a giant drop of sweat on   
the back of his head. "Uh, so what do we do now?"  
Fate shrugged. "We wait until my sister gets   
annoyed enough to leave her void and come here so I   
can explain things to her."  
"Well, waitings over." The brown-eyed girl with   
the long braid steps into view. "I'm here."  
  
Fate gestured to the table. "Have a seat, sis."  
Destiny sat carefully next to Ranma, who cringed   
closer to Akane. She neatly arranged her braid and   
primly settled her short sarong-style skirt. "Now,   
I must say that I don't completely agree with   
everything you said."  
"You missed a little at the beginning. Anyway,   
I'm afraid it is all written in the orders I   
received all those millennia ago."  
Destiny sighed. "Well, I suppose you won't do   
me a favor then? It's very hectic up there right   
now. I had to leave both Iona and Reeve in charge   
of the Web, and still I cannot stay long."  
Lina leaned into her palm again and   
sarcastically retorted, "Oh, what a pity."  
Destiny frowned slightly but chose to ignore the   
young girl. "Truly, it isn't safe for them both to   
be here. One of them must go."  
Fate shook her head with a slight frown. "I'm   
afraid I can't do that. I'm sure you'll manage. If   
you want, I'll give in and agree to let you take a   
third Hand."  
Every mortal in the room blinked. How could you   
have a THIRD hand?  
Destiny mirrored her sister's expression. "I'm   
afraid that isn't workable either. Iona has been   
with me for nearly a century, and she is still   
barely capable of managing the web."  
Both sisters sighed. Fate sat up with a grin.   
"I might have a suitable answer for you, but you   
will have to wait for another day or two."  
Fate sighed. "I have to anyway. Iona and Reeve   
will be terribly worn after plane shifting and   
minding the Web all in one day. We shall talk in a   
couple of days then. Good bye."  
Fate waved and Destiny disappeared as the rest   
of the room's occupants blinked and exchanged   
confused glances.  
  
Akane sighed and watched Ranma doing push-ups in   
the dojo the next morning. Rate had recommended   
that they all remain home for now. "This is so   
stupid. The fate of the world rests on our   
shoulders and we're killing time in the dojo."  
Ranma gave a funny half shrug and bent his left   
arm behind his back, continuing with one-armed push-  
ups. "I don't know, I don't mind missing a little   
school. Besides, I appreciate the extra training   
just in case this all boils down to a fight."  
Akane watched his braid fall over his shoulder   
as he stared determinedly at the floor. She sighed   
again and continued to watch him.  
  
Lina sat next to the koi pond. She'd taken off   
the cape and shoulder guards, but she was wearing   
her sword and own clothes. Fate had said she   
needn't bothered before disappearing the night   
before, but Lina wasn't too prone to trusting the   
girl that would one day kill her. With a sigh, Lina   
thought of the few spells she'd used during her   
brief stay in this strange world.  
The healing spell she'd cast in that first fight   
with the Amazon had seemed normal. If anything, it   
had been almost too easy; like casting a spell in an   
area with a lot of loose magic that just jumps to   
her bidding.   
However, the attack spells she'd used against   
Iona had felt funny. The first had a funny tug of   
resistance. It wasn't major, and she'd just   
concentrated a little harder to overcome it. After   
that, every spell just seemed to resist a little   
more. She'd experimented that morning by casting   
minor light spells. By the third one she was sure.   
She was loosing her ability to cast magic.  
She frowned down at the little fish as they made   
lazy circles through the pebbles and plants. There   
was a thud from the 'dojo', as the locals called the   
funny empty room separated from the rest of the   
house. Lina heard Ranma's voice and stood, he   
seemed to be hesitantly in charge.  
She walked determinedly to the dojo and stepped   
inside. Ranma was moving about doing some martial   
arts moves, but not like anything Lina had ever seen   
before. Could fighting techniques have evolved so   
differently on the two worlds? Akane watched him   
with a bored but strangely soft look. Lina smirked.   
It was so obvious that the two of them liked each   
other, no matter how much they fought.  
She cleared her throat and waited for them to   
look up at her. "I believe I'm losing my magic."  
Akane blinked and Ranma looked vaguely worried   
and, strangely, a little angry. He took a step   
forward and made a jerky and upset gesture, "What do   
you mean? How can you lose your magic?"  
She sat next to Akane, and Ranma grudgingly did   
likewise. She looked from one teenager to the other   
and made the effort to appear calm. "Every spell   
that I've cast since I came here has been   
progressively harder to cast. It's like," she   
flailed with her hands, trying to think of an   
analogy, and finally said, "singing with a sore   
throat. Every word puts a little more strain on   
your throat. The more you sing, the worse your   
throat hurts."  
They both looked worried, but Akane's expression   
was more sympathetic. The girl leaned forward   
slightly, "Does it hurt you somehow?"  
Lina shook her head, still thinking of   
alternatives. "No, it's just hard. Like I'm   
reaching for the spells, but they're getting farther   
and farther away so that I have to work harder.   
It's been so long since I couldn't cast any spell I   
wanted to easily; that straining so hard for simple   
spells is a new experience."  
Akane gave Lina's hand a pat. "Don't worry,   
we'll figure it out."  
Ranma frowned and leaned his elbow onto one knee   
as he sat cross-legged on the floor. He cupped his   
chin and looked thoughtful. "I'm worried. I was   
really hoping for all these great spells she's   
talking about to help us out a little. Now I'm   
going to have to beat Destiny and protect Lina at   
the same time!"  
  
Akane blinked in response to Ranma's outburst.   
He was worried. She slowly turned her head to look   
at him. He was frowning but he didn't appear   
frightened. His eyes narrowed and he chewed on his   
lip a little in thought.  
"Maybe we should ask the old ghoul. I hate how   
we have to keep going back to the little prune, but   
she's the only one that knows anything about magic   
around here."  
"Best you remember that, son-in-law, since I am   
doing you a favor." Cologne and Shampoo stood in   
the doorway. Kasumi was standing behind them with a   
tray of.  
The whole group came in and Kasumi set the tray   
down in the middle of the larger group. Lina smiled   
up at the older girl, "Kasumi, could you send Zel   
and Gourry in here please?"  
"Of course! I know just where they are." She   
bustled off and Shampoo began to pour the tea.   
Akane and Shampoo were seated to either side of   
Ranma; Cologne and Lina to their sides respectively.   
When they arrived, Zel sat next to Shampoo, and   
Gourry next to Lina. Lina repeated her findings and   
Zel nodded.  
"I felt the same tug of reluctance the couple of   
times I have cast spells. I haven't used as much   
magic as you though."  
Cologne looked between the two magic users.   
"Why do you think this is happening?"  
Lina put one finger to her chin, "Well, maybe   
magic just works differently here. I keep feeling   
like I just can't gather enough energy. Could it be   
that there simply isn't any magical energy around   
here? Or, more exactly, there wasn't very much and   
we've been wasting it."  
Akane frowned, "I don't think defending   
yourselves should be considered wasting."  
Lina shrugged, "Maybe, but now we need to find   
other ways to be useful. I'm not gonna sit back and   
let some demigod try to kill me."  
They sat there silently, trying to decide how   
the powerless sorcerers could be useful. Shampoo,   
who didn't quite see the difficulty in the   
situation, began to fidget slightly. Why didn't   
they just wait until Destiny showed up and fight   
her? She sighed mentally and waited. After several   
minutes of endless silence, Cologne hopped out of   
the dojo without a word. Shampoo smiled brightly at   
Ranma before following.  
Ranma barely looked up. He sighed in   
frustration. "This isn't like our usual fights!   
You can't take on Destiny in a head on fight!"  
"Wise decision."  
Everyone whipped around to face a battered   
practice dummy with a yarn ponytail tacked onto it.   
A man in fairly elaborate robes and chin length   
purple hair was seated on the dummy's head, smiling   
benignly down at the group.  
Ranma leapt to his feet, "Who are you?"  
The man chuckled and jumped gracefully to the   
ground, walking to the group as they hurried to   
their feet. "I am Xellos, the mysterious priest!   
I've come to help the infamous Lina Inverse and her   
friends return home."  
"How did you know who I was? Nobody here knows   
me." Lina was practically snarling.  
The man chuckled and sat down next to the tea   
paraphernalia and poured himself a cup of tea.   
"Because I'm from your home planet as well, and   
somebody has to get you back where you belong."  
Lina's face grew blank and her voice level as   
she said, "Assuming you can help us, why would you   
want to?"   
Xellos chuckled and sipped his tea, "Because you   
three still have some important things to do on our   
planet, things nobody else can do. In fact, I'll be   
needing your help soon anyway, so I came to bring   
you home."  
Zelgadis sat down across from Xellos, "How did   
you get here, and how do you plan on getting us   
back."  
Xellos smiled and sat back, still clutching his   
tea. "There's a very simple spell that let me   
follow your trails here. However, the trail is now   
too dissipated to follow it home, so we'll have to   
work together to cast a much more complicated spell   
to return."  
Lina scoffed, "Well, there's one small problem   
with that. You see, there's a distinct lack of   
magical energies around here. We won't be able to   
cast much more than a light spell, let alone travel   
home."  
The room was silent aside from the click of   
porcelain when Xellos set his cup on the tray. He   
looked up and grinned knowingly at the assembled   
young people, "Ah, but that is only because the   
magical energies, or mana, of this world is mostly   
concentrated in little nodes. Our world has more   
mana, and what we have is spread evenly across the   
world due to the constant use of magic. Since magic   
is less reliable here due to a lower availability of   
the proper energies, magic to any great degree is   
rare. So, the mana has gone unused and settled into   
the small nodes."  
Everyone blinked as one while Xellos cocked his   
head and smiled at them as a whole. After scanning   
the entire group, he continued, "So we need to find   
one of these nodes. Do any of you know of a place   
with a high concentration of magic?"  
They looked blankly at each other for a moment   
before Ranma broke the silence in a soft voice, "I   
know of a place. The first time I saw any magic at   
all was when I got my curse. Jusenkyo is full of   
magical springs. Nobody knows about them, and very   
few people ever go there, so there should be plenty   
of this mana stuff there, shouldn't there?"  
Lina slammed a fist into her other palm, "That's   
it! The fact that your curse is still active proves   
that there is still magic there. Your very presence   
has probably leeched mana from the area into   
maintaining your curse this far from the pools."  
Zel nodded slowly, "That would explain why   
there's so very little magical energies here. Not   
to mention, since the pools are rarely activated,   
they may have given excess energy into the area   
surrounding the pools. There should me more than   
enough mana at this Jusenkyo place to power several   
giga slaves!"  
Xellos nodded sagely, "Then tomorrow we leave   
for Jusenkyo!"  
  
Ranma rose early the next day and stepped out   
onto the roof to meditate. This wasn't one of his   
usual activities, but some situations required a   
clear head. He tuned out the biting morning wind   
and the permeating cold from the roof he sat on. He   
ignored the sounds of the waking city and the   
chirping of the birds in the air above him. He sat   
there completely motionless as the sun began to peek   
over line of rooftops before him, and did not move   
until it was fairly high in the sky.  
His first movement in two hours was to suddenly   
stand in a fluid movement that betrayed his current   
state of perfect awareness with both himself and   
everything around him. He started to walk over and   
jump down into the yard, but paused and looked back   
over his shoulder. Silently he made his way over to   
a window that he'd often looked through.   
He lay on his stomach and edged himself over the   
edge of the roof and hung over it to peer inside a   
particular bedroom.  
  
Akane sighed and sat up in bed with a stretch   
and a content smile. She threw back the covers and   
yawned as she padded barefoot to the window to look   
out at the fresh morning view. The yawn ended up   
deeper than she'd anticipated, and she was making   
her way blindly across the room with closed eyes.  
The yawn ended and she dropped her arms as her   
eyes opened. She gave a shriek as a face suddenly   
came into view. Ranma smiled slightly at her and   
cringed slightly with apparent meekness as his   
pigtail swung back and forth. Akane frowned at her   
upside down fiancé.  
"What are you doing Ranma?" She sighed and   
jerked the window open, stepping aside as he flipped   
into the room.  
"Morning Akane, how's it going?"  
She sighed and turned to her closet to pick out   
some clothes. Shrugging, she said, "Oh, it was   
going pretty well until you scared me to death."   
She began rifling through clothes as he flopped down   
on her bed, crossing his arms beneath his head.  
"Akane, what are we going to do?"  
She pulled out a tank top and gave him a puzzled   
glance, "Do? About what?"   
He played with a crease in her blanket, "You   
know, about Lina and everything."  
Akane sighed and sat gingerly on the edge of her   
bed, making sure to keep a safe distance between   
Ranma and herself. "I don't know Ranma. We'll   
manage, we always do."  
She looked down at his face and he smiled softly   
up at her. It was such a sweet, warm smile that she   
couldn't help but smile back at him. She stood and   
shooed him out the door.  
"Go on, Ranma, get out. I have to get ready.   
We'll be leaving pretty soon."  
He smirked and disappeared, leaving Akane   
shaking her head. She closed the door and changed   
quickly into some durable traveling clothes. She   
was running a brush through her hair when there was   
a knock on the door.  
"C'mon in, it's open!"  
Lina poked her red head in as Akane was putting   
the brush down. Her purplish eyes lit on the brush   
and she grinned, "Hey, Akane, can I use your   
hairbrush?"  
Akane nodded and tossed said brush to the other   
girl. "Come on in. I'm packing a few things."  
Akane continued throwing necessities into her   
backpack as Lina sat on the bed and began   
contentedly pulling the brush through her long red   
hair. 


	3. Chapter 3

"Akane, what are we going to do?"  
She pulled out a tank top and gave him a puzzled   
glance, "Do? About what?"   
He played with a crease in her blanket, "You   
know, about Lina and everything."  
Akane sighed and sat gingerly on the edge of her   
bed, making sure to keep a safe distance between   
Ranma and herself. "I don't know Ranma. We'll   
manage, we always do."  
She looked down at his face and he smiled softly   
up at her. It was such a sweet, warm smile that she   
couldn't help but smile back at him. She stood and   
shooed him out the door.  
"Go on, Ranma, get out. I have to get ready.   
We'll be leaving pretty soon."  
He smirked and disappeared, leaving Akane   
shaking her head. She closed the door and changed   
quickly into some durable traveling clothes. She   
was running a brush through her hair when there was   
a knock on the door.  
"C'mon in, it's open!"  
Lina poked her red head in as Akane was putting   
the brush down. Her purplish eyes lit on the brush   
and she grinned, "Hey, Akane, can I use your   
hairbrush?"  
Akane nodded and tossed said brush to the other   
girl. "Come on in. I'm packing a few things."  
Akane continued throwing necessities into her   
backpack as Lina sat on the bed and began   
contentedly pulling the brush through her long red   
hair. "Lina, do you think this will work?"  
Lina shrugged, "Well, I think the real question   
is whether or not it really matters. This priest   
knows things about our world that we didn't even   
tell you and the others. He has to be from our   
planet. Since he obviously can cast powerful magic,   
it is easy to believe that he could know a way   
home." Lina smiled and put the brush down, "I know   
an awful lot about magic, but I don't know   
everything. I can't prove that there is or is not a   
way home."  
Akane frowned slightly and closed her bag,   
setting it by the door. "But what if it's some kind   
of trick?"  
Lina laughed, "What would he be doing if he   
isn't trying to get us back? If he wanted us   
killed, he could easily have just attacked us."  
Akane nodded, "I suppose so. Well, we're   
leaving pretty soon, so we'd better head down   
stairs."  
Lina nodded and jumped up off of the bed. The   
two girls started down the stairs, Lina leading.   
She was contemplating the wonders that that Kasumi   
girl would be serving at this meal when she sensed   
something. Her head jerked up, but it was too late.   
Some monstrous growth had suddenly sprung into being   
on her chest.  
Eep! She began to alternate between screaming   
and cursing as she frantically began prying at the   
odd little lump. She looked angrily up to see Ranma   
running toward her, sheer fury on his face as he   
grasped the thing.  
He pulled it off and up to his face, glaring at   
it. "Happosai, will you ever stop?"  
Lina blinked and realized that it was a tiny old   
man, and he seemed highly disappointed. "Don't   
worry, my boy, that little girl isn't even worth the   
effort."   
There were twin streams of smoke erupting from   
her ears as her eyes began to glow red. In a quiet   
and extremely violent voice she asked, "What did you   
say!"  
The miniature pervert rolled his eyes over to   
frown at her, "Why, your chest is so small I could   
barely find purchase!"  
"Grr! That's it! Darkness beyond twilight—"  
A hand covered her mouth and she bit it, turning   
to glare at the odd little priest floating beside   
her on the stairway. "Now, now, we don't want you   
wasting your magical reserves do we? If you're   
going to help cast the gating spell to get us all   
home, you're going to have to quit throwing Dragon   
Slaves around."  
She glared coldly at him, "Fine, then I won't   
use a spell on the little fiend." She turned her   
glare back to Happosai and a very confused Ranma.   
With a maniacal smirk, she drew her sword and   
lunged. Happosai took advantage of Ranma's   
confusion to pull free and took off down the   
hallway. Lina took off after him, swinging her   
sword at his hopping figure.  
  
Happosai glared at the party leaving the Tendo   
property from beneath the ropes, gags, and chains   
they'd used to keep him here. He'd get his revenge,   
er, respect he deserved from those youths! Now, all   
he had to do was get free . . .  
"Do you need a little help?"  
Happy jerked his head up and instantly began to   
drool at the blonde girl standing over him, playing   
with the incredibly long braid. She giggled at his   
dazed expression.   
"I want to make a deal with you, Happosai. The   
girl that's got you so angered, Lina Inverse, is   
making my already tedious job nearly impossible! I   
need to get her out of the way. I'm sure you can   
help me manage this."  
His lustful daze was replaced with a mercenary   
gleam, "How can I help you, pretty lady?"  
She smiled and held a hand out, palm up, and a   
tattered scroll appeared in it. "There is a very   
angry demon that has some unfinished business with   
Miss Inverse, and I would like for you to arrange   
for the two of them to meet up again."  
"And what will I gain from this?"  
She smiled sweetly down at him, "Why, if I   
happen to arrange it so that you are the one that   
strikes the killing blow, would you not gain quite a   
bit of the respect you so desire?"  
He chuckled for a moment, "That is promising . .   
."  
  
Zelgadis was his usual quiet self on the train   
ride to the airport. Did he really want to return?   
He cast a sideways glance to the eldest Tendo girl.   
Not only were there very nice people here, but he   
had found his cure. He wasn't sure whether or not   
his old body would return when he went home.   
He looked down at his soft pink skin and smiled.   
He was normal again. He'd combed his hair that   
morning. He'd cut himself getting Lina's sword out   
of her hand to keep her from killing that strange   
little man an hour ago. He sighed in content and   
leaned back. He was cursed at home, but it was his   
home.  
"Would you like a sandwich, mister Zelgadis?"   
He looked up at the smiling Kasumi and smiled warmly   
at her. She had insisted on coming along to see   
their guests off; deeply saddened that she would   
never see their new friends again, she wanted to   
make sure their last minutes on this planet were   
spent in well-fed comfort.  
"Yes, please."   
He ate the sandwich with a light heart, as he   
did everything now. He'd come to his conclusion.  
"Ranma, tell me about this Jusenkyo. We don't   
want to go there and have all the men turning into   
women when they get splashed."  
Ranma chuckled, "It's not that simple, Zel.   
There are different pools, and each has a different   
curse. Pop turns into a panda, Mousse is a duck   
half of the time, Ry—well, there are different   
curses."  
A thought suddenly came to Zelgadis and he   
looked thoughtfully at the young man. "Ranma, is   
there a pool with a curse that turns you into a   
man?"  
Ranma blinked. "Hey, probably but I'm not   
sure."  
Zelgadis shot a grin toward Lina, who bit her   
lip thoughtfully. "Hey, Zel, if you took some of   
that water with you when we went home, we wouldn't   
have to worry about whether or not you'll still be a   
normal human being when we get there."  
Zelgadis leaned back in his seat thoughtfully,   
the sandwich forgotten.  
  
The green world that Destiny so favored was   
getting perilously close to the combined worlds of   
Lina and Ranma. She snarled and not-so-subtly   
plucked the green world from the red pulsing grasp   
of the other two.   
"Are we having a bad day, sister dear?"  
Destiny finished her work before turning her   
head to glare at Fate. "What do you want?"  
She played with the lock of red hair and smiled,   
"I know what you're playing at with that Happosai   
creature. It actually plays into my plans rather   
well."  
Giving into their infinity-long competitive   
natures, Destiny frowned at the thought of helping   
her sister. "How exactly does summoning that evil   
being help you?"  
With a confident smirk Fate muttered, "Didn't I   
tell you that I had business here in the next couple   
of days? I'm not leaving this up to either of my   
hands. The time has come for a certain Changeling   
to leave the Web."  
  
Ranma grumbled from his seat beside Kuno in the   
first class section of the commercial airplane on   
its way to China. Akane was steaming from both ears   
and growling deep in her throat from her seat beside   
Kuno. Tatewaki was spouting the wonders of both   
'girls' and promising to protect their lives and   
honor on this noble quest etc., etc.  
Sitting behind the reluctant love triangle,   
Xellos was sipping another cup of tea as he   
discussed the specifics of the gating spell with Zel   
and Lina. They'd decided it would be a little too   
obvious that something was up if Ranma turned female   
while Lina was standing right there, so they'd dyed   
her black and made Ranma pose as the 'pigtailed   
girl' once more.  
Lina was amazed at the simplistic barbarism of   
the spell they were about to cast. Even if they   
were fully charged up with personal mana, they would   
need to draw mana from the surrounding area as well   
due to the massive amounts of energy required for   
the spell.  
Zel frowned slightly. "Isn't that a little   
dangerous?"  
Xellos chuckled, "Oh my, no of course not!   
You'll be awfully tired when we arrive home, but   
we'll be perfectly safe."  
Lina's expression was skeptical, but she pointed   
to one of the drawings piled on the fold-down   
airliner tray. "Alright, but there are five points   
on this star. Maybe I'm crazy, but Zel, You,   
Gourry, and yours truly only add up four. Who's the   
fifth point going to be?"  
Xellos chuckled and half stood, wrapping an arm   
around the pigtailed martial artist (currently a   
female, but sometimes a male) sitting in the seat in   
front of him. If Kuno hadn't been staring into   
Akane's eyes in pure rapture at the moment, surely a   
fight would have ensued. "Why, the only other   
member of the group with any form of magic   
permanently surrounding him. Or, should I say her?"  
Ranma removed the arm with a glare, "I'm a guy!   
How can I help with a spell if I don't know a thing   
about magic?"  
Lina smiled encouragingly and handed the flight   
attendant her stack of empty plates. "Aw, don't   
worry Ranma. We'll be the ones actually casting the   
spell. You just have to loan us some of the magical   
energies that your curse gives off."  
Ranma shrugged, "If you say so, but don't   
complain if I mess it up."  
Xellos brought out yet another drawing, this one   
complete with little cartoon characters that vaguely   
resembled the five people directly involved in the   
spell. "Now, you Zelgadis will begin by wrapping   
everyone actually going through the gate in   
Shamanistic magic that will identify us all to our   
home plane. Then . . ."  
  
Happosai poked his head out of a bursting   
suitcase, frowning his indignation. "Aren't there   
any pretty ladies on this plane? I've only found   
men's luggage! No matter, soon I'll have the proper   
respect that I deserve from Ranma, Akane, Ukyo, and   
all the other girls!"  
He chuckled evilly and patted the scroll safely   
tucked into his pocket. He'd begin the summoning as   
soon as they got close enough to Jusenkyo.   
Apparently, that was the proper place to cast magic   
spells. He continued to chuckle and made his way   
through the dark luggage compartment to the next   
suitcase.  
  
Ranma, still female unfortunately, jumped into   
the plane's aisle as soon as he could. Akane was   
fidgeting and her eye was twitching as Kuno detailed   
once more why her fiery spirit so attracted him.   
She swayed through the other passengers and made her   
way to the smiling flight attendants that were   
helping everyone off of the plane. Their smiles   
became much more forced as Akane ran up to them.  
"Thanks!" she shot at them, shooting herself   
down the passageway to the lobby. She settled into   
one of the plastic chairs with a sigh of relief,   
waiting for the rest of the group. She heard   
another exhale beside her and looked up in surprise   
to see Ranma sitting next to her.  
"We're free at last!" He smiled and slouched   
down into the chair. Akane blinked at him for a   
moment before smiling up at him.  
"I know, isn't it wonderful? It's a pity he   
won't be gone for long, but these precious moments   
away from him are well worth it."  
They had nearly three whole minutes before the   
faces coming off of the plane belonged to their   
friends. The group reformed and left the airport,   
heading off into the wild toward Jusenkyo.  
  
Ukyo was not happy. There was Kuno hanging off   
of Ranma, and she couldn't run up and beat him until   
they were all safely back in Japan. She had been   
sitting beside Nabiki and Kasumi on the plane,   
behind Lina and the other two magic users. She   
hadn't even spoken to Ranma since the plane took   
off, and he'd taken off with Akane as soon as the   
passengers were permitted off of the plane.  
She didn't blame them. If she'd had Kuno   
hanging all over her, she'd want a few minutes away   
if she could get them, too. With a sigh she stepped   
out into the aisle, directly in front of Kuno as he   
attempted to get to his two loves. She'd seen Lina   
and Zel do the same thing, and they all smiled at   
each other as their small conspiracy managed to   
frustrate the boy.  
"Confound you peons! Move thyselves from my   
path so that I might return to my loves' sides!"  
He thrust his bokken into the air and Ukyo   
wondered how he'd managed to get it past security as   
she smiled sweetly up at him, "Oh, I'm sorry Sugar,   
did I step out in front of you? If you'll just hold   
on a sec, I'll be out of your way in a moment."  
After shooting him another smile (Which he was   
too busy fuming to really notice.) she carefully   
placed herself in the exact center of the aisle as   
she bent to retrieve her bag from 'beneath the seat   
in front of her' as slowly as she could without   
being overly obvious.  
She stood and turned to apologize again, but he   
grabbed her shoulders and lightly pushed her just   
enough off of her balance that she had to take a   
step or fall. Standing between the seats once more,   
she smirked as Kuno was delayed once more, this time   
by a smirking Nabiki.  
  
They'd traveled all day, and had finally stopped   
just in time for Kasumi to start dinner while   
everyone else set up camp. Ranma was holding a tent   
pole as his father drove the stake into the ground.   
Lina and Xellos were standing at the edge of camp,   
staring intently off in the general direction of   
Jusenkyo.   
Zelgadis carried a load of firewood over to the   
fire, smiling faintly at Kasumi as he stacked it   
neatly beside her. She smiled at him and stirred   
the pot.   
"Oh! Thank you Mr. Zelgadis!"  
He looked up at her as he placed the last piece   
on top of the small pile. He opened his mouth to   
speak, but instead hissed in pain. He brought his   
hand up to his stunned face, staring intently at a   
finger.  
"Oh, what's wrong Mr. Zelgadis?"  
"Uh, I think I got a splinter."  
She bent her worried but smiling face (a feat   
only Kasumi Tendo could manage) over his finger.   
"Why, it appears you do indeed have a splinter.   
Hold still, Mr. Zelgadis, and I'll get it out. See,   
all better."  
He smiled at her from across the wood pile.   
"Thank you, Miss Kasumi."  
"Oh, you're welcome." She released his hand and   
turned back to stir the stew. Everyone but   
Kasumi noticed that Zel did not rise from his seat   
by the fire, nor did he move his hand from the   
woodpile. He stayed like that for nearly an hour as   
the rest of the group hid their smiles and gathered   
around the fire as well, each taking a tin cup   
filled with the hearty stew. There were great   
cheers at Kasumi's prowess with simple camp fare and   
her ability to transform it.  
She was smiling and blushing slightly when a   
voice called out to her. "May I have a bit of stew   
as well? I've had the most horrid day!"  
They all turned as one as Fate strolled calmly   
into the camp and sat on a log next to Ranma. She   
smilingly accepted the stew from Kasumi and blew   
softly on it for a moment before taking a sip.   
"Ah, yes, this is excellent stew. Thank you   
very much Kasumi."  
They watched her silently as she consumed the   
dinner with the same gusto that everyone else had   
used. She handed the cup back to Kasumi, who stood   
and headed off to the stream to clean the dishes.  
Ranma edged slightly away from her, "Uh, can we   
help you?"  
She smiled and shrugged, "Oh, I'm just checking   
in on you guys. I thought I should warn you that my   
dear sister is getting quite restless. As soon as   
she straightens out the mess her Hands made of the   
Web, she'll be dropping in to check on you guys as   
well. Of course, you'll have a harder time trying   
to survive her visit."  
She stretched and stood. "What are you guys   
doing in China?"  
Lina glared coldly at the girl, "We're going to   
the place with the most magic so that we can cast a   
spell to take us home."  
Fate nodded slowly, thinking this through.   
"That's good. Of course, you realize that there   
will be two Changelings on that planet then?"  
Fate actually flinched a tiny bit as Xellos   
appeared floating behind her shoulder, cross-legged   
and sipping tea. "Oh my, I'm not that foolish! The   
spell will also remove all traces of her special   
birth."  
Fate was fairly beaming now. "Oh that's   
wonderful! Well, I have business elsewhere, but   
I'll try and drop in to keep my sister out of your   
business."  
Nabiki's dry, "Gee, thanks . . ." was lost as   
the girl disappeared in a flash of light.  
  
Happosai had passed the rest of the group up   
after they stopped to make camp. He continued on   
tirelessly until he found the small cave he'd been   
sent to. It overlooked Jusenkyo as it stood in the   
light of a full moon. He grinned and made his way   
deep into the cave. He sat down and meditated for   
several very long minutes before breaking the wax   
seal on the scroll.  
Down in the valley of cursed springs, a certain   
guide looked out his window in surprise at a bright   
flash of light coming from one of several caves in   
the area. It died to a soft glow, but did not   
further diminish. He was more than a little   
worried, but did not wish to leave the security of   
his hut.  
Finally, after several hours of staring in fear   
at the glow from the cave's entrance, he ran in fear   
to the only place he could think of: The Amazon   
village.  
  
The travelers broke camp and were on their way   
up the trail before the sun was fully over the   
horizon. After several hours of fighting yawns and   
trudging on in determination, they came to the sight   
that they all feared. The late morning sun was   
surprisingly cheerful for a place that held so many   
dark feelings and actions.  
They kept plenty of space between themselves and   
the nearest pools as Ranma walked up to the guide's   
hut and knocked. He waited for several moments   
before trying again. He turned and shrugged at the   
group.  
"I guess he's not home."  
Zel frowned, "Then how am I supposed to get   
water from the spring of drowned man?"  
Xellos chuckled and pulled out a piece of chalk.   
He began chanting and drawing a pentagram on the   
ground between the hut and the pools. Everyone else   
gathered silently and watched the star form. As   
each point of the star was completed and flashed   
brightly thanks to Xellos's chants and murmurs, one   
of the five directly involved in the spell was to   
take their place on the line of glowing chalk.  
The first corner formed, and Lina positioned   
Gourry carefully onto it. He stepped warily onto   
the glowing line, flinching as he began to glow as   
well.  
  
Happosai grinned as he finished the instructions   
written on the scroll. It had taken most of last   
night as well as the entire morning. He backed out   
to the entrance to the cave as it filled with both   
blinding light and obscuring mists. His eyes   
widened in fear, however, as the dark evil continued   
to grow to a much higher level than he had expected.  
"Uh oh . . ."  
He felt more than heard a dark chuckle just   
before he felt something insinuating itself into   
him.   
Then, Happosai was gone.  
  
Xellos continued to chant and draw, finishing   
the second point of the star. Zelgadis stepped into   
his spot without any obvious signs of hesitation.   
He began to glow as Gourry had, but did not seem to   
notice. He immediately began to chant the words   
that Xellos had been helping him with. Just as   
Xellos was finishing the third point of the star,   
Zel pointed at Gourry, who began to pulse instead of   
glowing steadily. The third point began to glow,   
and Lina began to step onto it.  
Just before her foot fell onto the glowing chalk   
dust, there was a rumble of thunder and the sky grew   
instantly dark. Lina felt a wave of familiarity and   
looked up in surprise, freezing when she saw the   
familiar form of Happosai rolling toward Jusenkyo,   
and the transluscent image of something even more   
familiar taking shape above the head of the tiny   
martial artist.  
"Shabranigdo . . ."   
Ranma ran up to her, and Zel glanced up at her   
from his muttering. "No!" she screamed, "Keep   
casting the spells. There's no going back!"  
She took a step back from the pentagram as   
Xellos redoubled his efforts. Ranma rested a hand   
on her shoulder. He studied the glowing white eyes   
of Happosai as the man walked slowly toward them,   
chuckling evily. Ranma's eyes, however, were drawn   
to the dark from taking shape above the tiny   
pervert.  
"Lina, what is that . . . monster?"  
Her face was pale and she was drawing back from   
him. "That, Ranma, appears to be Shabranigdo."  
"Close, but actually it's a fragment of him.   
You defeated one fragment of him, using the giga   
slave if I'm not mistaken."  
Ranma and Lina glanced at Fate as she stepped up   
beside them, Destiny appearing on their other side.  
"Oh, yes, just a fragment."  
Lina glared at Destiny. "Just a fragment, she   
says! The first fragment nearly killed us! What   
kind of idiot would summon Shabranigdo?"  
Fate frowned in thought for a moment before   
pointing to the miniscule martial artist, "I believe   
you know him. I think his name is Happosai."  
Ranma snarled, "Leave it to the old pervert to   
cause trouble."  
"Son-in-law, you shouldn't have left without   
us."  
Ranma rolled his eyes as Cologne appeared with   
Mousse and Shampoo, as well as what appeared to be   
half of their village.  
"What do you want, Old Ghoul?"  
"We came to stop you fools from coming here, but   
apparently there are other matters of greater   
importance."  
All eyes were on the menacing force rolling   
toward them. It would be here in a few minutes.   
"What do we do, Lina? You've fought this   
before."  
Her eyes were very cold, "We throw everything we   
can at it. I have to warn you though, it probably   
won't be enough. I'll have to use the giga slave."  
Akane had walked silently up behind them.   
Placing a hand on the other girl's shoulder she   
said, "But if you cast such a large spell, who will   
cast your part of the gating spell?"  
Lina dropped her eyes. "Nobody else can do it.   
I have the power, but there isn't enough left to   
cast the giga slave as well. The most I could   
manage would be one small dragon slave."  
They all turned once more as the thing   
approached. "Lina, only cast that spell as a last   
resort. We'll give that monster a good fight."   
Ranma turned to Cologne, who nodded in agreement.  
"Yes, son-in-law, I'm sure we can manage." She   
began ordering her amazons into positions. Most of   
them she simply sent back to the village, and they   
went reluctantly. The ones remaining were obviously   
the older and stronger ones.  
Ranma turned to Akane, "You need to get your   
family out of here." She started to argue, and he   
held up a stern hand. "No, listen to me Akane!   
Close combat isn't going to be very effective and   
you have to get your sisters out of here!"  
She turned and saw the worried expression of her   
father as he held an arm over each of his elder   
daughter's shoulders. "What about Dad?"  
"Akane, you know as well as I do that he won't   
be as good protection as you would be."  
She turned and looked at him in surprise at the   
unexpected compliment. With a determined nod she   
ran off and grabbed Kasumi and her father's hands.   
Seeing them heading to safety, Ranma turned back   
around to face the oncoming evil. Lina was standing   
next to him, studying the piece of paper that Xellos   
had written the spell she was to perform on.   
She looked up with a determined glint in her   
eyes. She casually tossed the paper to the side and   
started walking to a spot between the diagram and   
the martial artists. Ranma caught the paper,   
thinking it might be needed later, and tucked it   
into his waistband before walking over to Cologne.  
  
Zelgadis was continuing with his spell. He'd   
finished putting the magical identification tag on   
Gourry, and was working on Lina. It would take a   
little more work and concentration since she was   
moving, but he was nearly done. He could only spare   
a very small amount of concentration on his dilemma.  
Was he going to go home and risk continuing to   
live with his curse, or stay here and lose his best   
friends?  
He looked up with renewed focus at the thought   
of all they'd done for him. With magic much more   
readily available on his home world, surely he could   
find a cure there. He couldn't leave Lina and   
Gourry alone after all they'd been through together.   
He felt a momentary twinge of guilt at the thought   
of a certain Tendo girl, but shoved it aside to   
concentrate on the spell.  
He smirked as he completed the tag on Lina. She   
looked up at him, her body pulsing softly in a warm   
glow. When she saw that he was not glowing, she   
gave him a worried expression. He smiled back   
reassuringly and began the tag for himself.  
  
All of those who would be fighting this   
Shabranigdo thing were squaring off between him and   
the gradually forming pentagram. He would be here   
soon. Cologne stood a little in front of the group.   
She held up a hand and the martial artists tensed.   
She dropped the arm and everyone gathered their   
energy.  
Nearly two dozen powerful ki blasts hit the   
approaching monster at once. It snarled and opened   
its gaping, toothy mouth in a frightening screech.   
Ranma didn't have room to spiral around the thing,   
so he was using the Mouko Takabishi. He noted   
proudly that his blasts were larger than all but   
Cologne's and seemed to be doing the most damage.  
Cologne called a temporary halt so that the   
gasping amazons and Ranma could rest. Ranma was   
glaring intently at the beast, who had slowed his   
approach noticeably.  
"Ranma, this isn't going to work."  
He shot an emotionless glance at the petite   
sorceress. He almost agreed, then remembered what   
powered his ki blast. He thought of all the things   
he'd accomplished, all of the times he'd saved Akane   
and the girls. What was one little demon? It   
wasn't even an entire demon, just a fragment of one.  
Grinning, he said, "Give me a break. One little   
demon isn't going to stop Ranma Soatome." He saw   
Cologne raising her hand once more, so he shot Lina   
one last, quick smile before preparing his energy.   
With this fresh renewal of his confidence, his blast   
was very easily on par with Cologne's this time.   
This only helped him raise his confidence level.  
Shabranigdo paused for several seconds,   
snarling. Happosai, his glowing eyes blank, seemed   
to reel with pain before standing once more and   
taking another halting step toward the group. Ranma   
just smirked and waited for the next signal from   
Cologne. They continued for several more blasts   
before several amazons fell to their knees in   
exhaustion.  
Cologne spared them a glance. Ranma did not.   
"Girls, if you are too weak to continue, remove   
yourselves. Return to the village. You'll be more   
useful there." One of the girls made it back to her   
feet. Four others stumbled into the trees to their   
home.  
Cologne raised her hand and they all tensed.   
  
Akane caught up with a lagging amazon and   
quickly told her father and sisters to follow the   
fleeing women. They nodded mutely in shock and   
shakily followed the overgrown trail. Turning her   
feet in the direction of the flashing lights and   
explosions of ki, Akane redoubled her speed.  
Now, Ranma was fighting for his life instead of   
hers. No, strike that, he was fighting for   
everyone's lives. This demon was bad news, and   
Akane couldn't bear for him to face it alone. The   
fact that he was surrounded by several other martial   
artists of a higher caliber than she did not yet hit   
her.  
As she got closer and closer to Jusenkyo, she   
passed several faltering young amzon warriors that   
were barely strong enough to walk. Now even more   
worried, Akane pulled up extra reserves and shot   
off. It took her all of three minutes to realize   
that she'd left the overgrown trail and was lost in   
the woods.  
With a frustrated snarl, she set off   
determinedly in what she thought to be the right   
direction.  
  
Several minutes later, they were down to three   
amazons still standing, plus Ranma and Cologne. For   
the first time in quite awhile, Ranma was wishing   
for Ryoga. He saw Lina shoot him a glance and step   
onto her point of the star. Xellos was finishing up   
the fourth point. Lina had told him that he would   
still be able to cast his 'spells' from his part of   
the pentagram, but that he wouldn't be able to do   
anything hand to hand.  
He didn't need to step onto the diagram until   
just before the second spell was finished. He had   
about five minutes from what Lina had told him. He   
could do anything except leave the boundaries of his   
point of the star.  
He saw Xellos glow softly and step onto his   
point of the star. Then the odd priest turned to   
the fifth point (where Ranma would be standing soon)   
and begin to chant once more. Zelgadis seemed to be   
finished wrapping the travelers in magic, for he was   
now staring at the approaching demon.  
Lina was staring extremely intently at Xellos,   
waiting for her cue to begin the final spell. The   
last spell was the one that would actually transport   
them all to their world, as well as strip Ranma and   
Lina of their powers as Changelings. Hers was the   
hardest of the three spells, and required extreme   
amounts of power and skill. Ranma tensed and   
prepared to loose another blast. He paused as the   
demon's hand began to glow.  
Ranma's blood turned to ice and he grabbed the   
amazon directly to his right. "Duck, it's   
attacking!"  
A blast of black nothingness sped toward them,   
singing the leg of one amazon. Everyone else   
escaped unmarked, however, and took their places to   
resume their attacks. They let their attacks speed   
toward the demon, who was actually showing very   
obvious signs of pain and injuries.  
"Arg, I can't stand it anymore!" All eyes flew   
to Lina in her space on the diagram. She closed her   
eyes and drew her hands together before herself.   
Ranma didn't quite here the words she was mumbling,   
but he had an idea.  
"Everyone, get ready! When she screams out her   
attack, we do too!"  
Everyone nodded in determination and gathered   
their ki once more. Lina's eyes shot open and she   
screamed in the still air of the battle zone.  
"Dragon Slave!"  
The blast seemed extremely impressive to anyone   
from earth, but Lina's friends from her home world   
knew that Lina had held back as much as she could to   
save much-needed energy for the spell to come. As   
her attack left her fingertips, the martial artists   
yelled out their attacks as well. The blasts   
striking the demon at once seemed to work.  
Through the cloud of smoke and debris, they saw   
Shabranigdo scream in pain and begin to shrink.   
Ranma smirked and jumped onto his place in the   
pentagram. He looked across the star and smiled at   
his new friends.   
"Good luck, guys."  
They smiled back at him and Xellos turned to   
Lina. He smiled at her and nodded for her to begin   
her spell. She began muttering nonsense about   
gateways and paths of light through lives of   
darkness or something. Ranma closed his eyes,   
hoping that now his life would return to what could   
be considered normal in Nerima.  
"Look out!"   
He wasn't sure who yelled the warning, but Ranma   
turned to glance over his shoulder to see Happosai   
glowing with a sickly black aura. Then he saw   
movement from the corner of his eye and Akane   
stepped into view. He cursed. What was she doing   
back here?  
Happosai/Shabranigdo chuckled and pounced toward   
Ranma. At a distinct disadvantage since he could   
only move within four or five square feet, Ranma   
dodged the first couple of punches before he could   
launch his own attacks. A funny thought struck him.   
Happy wasn't using anything close to his usual   
amount of skill.  
Ranma wasn't fighting Happy; he was fighting   
Shabranigdo. With a smirk, Ranma began steering   
Happosai into a tight circle. It wasn't the best for defense, and he immediately took a nasty scratch to his forehead. A moment later and he took a deep cut to his torso. Ranma frowned at that, since it felt like he'd been clawed. Happosai didn't have claws, did he? After several   
rotations, Ranma screamed out, much to the surprise   
of many.  
"Hiro Shoten Ha!"  
Shabranigdo went flying in the tornado that   
Ranma was surprised he had managed to create. He   
fell to his knees as everyone present stared at the   
inky aura fading away from the lifeless body of   
Happosai.   
The voices of the spell casters came to him and   
he smiled softly as an odd, intangible weight seemed   
to shift from his shoulders. So, he was no longer a   
Changeling. The two figures of Fate and Destiny   
exchanged glances and frowns before blinking out of   
existence. He closed his eyes, reveling in the fact   
that he was one step closer to being back to the   
normal Ranma Soatome.  
He opened his eyes and turned to smile at Akane   
as she studied him from across the clearing, her   
expression worried as she bit her lip. She studied   
him for a moment before grinning foolishly and   
rushing toward him, arms outstretched to him. He   
held his arms out as well and took a step toward her   
as well. As he and Akane neared each other, he   
could only thank the kami that things had worked out   
so well.  
He heard the voices of Lina, Xellos, and   
Zelgadis raising as they neared the completion of   
the spell. Akane was nearly twenty feet away before   
she slowed to give the spell time to finish. Ranma   
could take one more step and still be within the   
chalky lines of the pentagram.  
Suddenly, there was a flash of light between   
Ranma and his fiancée. Lina snapped around, horror   
on her face.  
"Ranma, Akane, get away from it!" It was too   
late, however, and Ranma felt a powerful tugging at   
his clothes and skin. The odd swirling portal of   
blue light had appeared no more than two or three   
inches in front of him. Akane was much further   
away, and should be safe. He was thankful for that   
small mercy as his foot slipped into the blue   
vortex.  
He looked up at Akane through the translucent   
portal, seeing Cologne holding her back as Lina and   
Zel turned their spellcasting toward him. Ranma   
smiled his thanks to the Amazon matriarch as his   
lower body was enveloped by the portal. He closed   
his eyes and braced himself as his head slipped   
through an oddly icy layer of . . . something.  
  
The End  
Web of Worlds,  
Part 1 


End file.
